Day #9

We had another AWESOME day! Sunny and bright -- but SO COLD! Sculptors who wore shorts were chilly all day. Even midday when it warmed up the chill was present, and returned as soon as the sun angle lowered.

Saturday saw a bump in curious visitors. People came from as far away as Geneva to see what they had read about in the paper.

Donna was up on her scaffolding all day carving huge chunks from the beak and freeing her wings almost to the waist. Proportions and shape are fully evident as she works to rough the huge pillar of polystyrene foam. She is a curiosity that has the crowds talking. I welded and fiddled with ambition. HUGE progress, but my welds remain fragile and sloppy. I am NOT a welder...


Paul Goodwin, a curator from Tate Britain in London came in at 4 for high tea and conversation. He talked with us each individually to familiarize himself with the work and our ideas. Tomorrow we will each have a deeper individual conversation with him. He is here now and then will return when the work is done. His role is one of added ideas, providing curatorial context and writing about the entire residency. It was exciting to meet him and we all found him to be an accessible and generous thinker.

For dinner we had an exceptional gathering of the most generous of Verbier community leaders at the home of Madeleine Paternot, one of the Residency founders. What a spread, what fine company, what an exceptional home we all enjoyed. The fireplace was aflame and a much needed barrier to the MAY! chill. The languages were aswirl.

Madeleine's father and best friend proved to be college buddies of Peter Haines, one of Donna's (and now my) good friends. Peter is a member of Boston Sculptor's Gallery with Donna and I. It was one of many amazing coincidences of this residency. Verbier is a focal point in the world. Small in population, but hugely influential people accumulate in the chalets and ski slopes. We are so lucky to be here.

Our crisp walk home as the night ended was alight with stars. We chatted about ALL the people we are meeting and remarked that all these friendships will be with us for a lifetime.